Category: Abraham and Isaac
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Abraham, Isaac, and Trumping ‘From Above’: A Partial Retraction
I say on my Welcome page: I write about what interests me whether I am expert in it or not. Some find this unseemly; I do not. I oppose hyper-professionalization and excessive specialization. Every once in a while I post something that is mistaken, someone corrects me, and I learn something. I admit mistakes if…
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Animal Sacrifice
I recently presented an alternative to the conceit shared by both atheists and immature religionists that religion is static, a closed system of doctrines and practices insusceptible of development and correction and refinement. The following is a bit of evidence for the alternative. The ancients sacrificed animals outside them on the altar of divine worship. Progress was…
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James Rachels’ Argument from Moral Autonomy Against the Existence of God*
A guest post by Peter Lupu. Minor edits and a comment (in blue) by BV. In an intriguing paper “God and Moral Autonomy”, James Rachels offers what he calls “The Moral Autonomy Argument” against the existence of God. The argument is based on a certain analysis of the concept of worship and its alleged incompatibility…
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The God of Philosophy and the God of Religion
Steven Nemes by e-mail: In posts of months past you claimed there was no distinction between the God of the philosophers and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; they're the same thing, if God can be called a thing at all; you asked for an argument that they were [not the same], if…
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And Yet Again on the God of the Philosophers: A Summing Up
This topic is generating some interest. I 've gotten a good bit of e-mail on it. Herewith, a summing-up by way of commentary on an e-mail I received. Joshua Orsak writes: I wanted to email you to tell you how once again you have elevated the medium of the Internet blog with your recent threads…
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Robert Oakes Weighs in on the God of the Philosophers
I got a phone call from philosopher of religion Robert Oakes yesterday. In the course of a lengthy chat, I mentioned my recent post on Pascal and Buber and asked him what he thought of it. Today I received the following from him by e-mail: Very good to talk with you. Short comment on that El…
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Still More on the God of the Philosophers Versus the God of Abraham, et al.
Ken e-mails and I respond in blue: I turn on my computer and check out the Maverick Philosopher and suddenly half of my day is shot. First I have to look up the word 'pellucidity' and then I am stuck trying to figure out why your claim about the phrases 'God-P' and 'God-R' does not…
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More on the God of the Philosophers
Spencer Case, 'on the ground' in Afghanistan, e-mails: Your recent post discussing the God of the philosophers and the God of Abraham and Isaac caught my interest. Having grown up in a religious home, I have always been of the opinion that arguments for theism argue for something different than what believers take themselves to…
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Kant on Abraham and Isaac
What I said about Abraham and Isaac yesterday is so close to Kant's view of the matter that I could be accused of repackaging Kant's ideas without attribution. When I wrote the post, though, I had forgotten the Kant passage. So let me reproduce it now. It is from The Conflict of the Faculties (1798), the…
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Abraham, Isaac, and an Aspect of the Problem of Revelation
God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"God say, "You can do what you want Abe, butThe next time you see me comin' you better run"Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"God says, "Out on Highway 61." Bob Dylan, Highway…